Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

276. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of licences currently needed to set up a retail unit; his plans to reduce the number of these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53757/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The number of licences needed by a retail unit will vary very considerably with the nature of the activities it engages in and the services it provides. The Forfás report on “The Review and Audit of Licences”, which assessed 159 licences across key sectors of the economy, estimated that a medium sized supermarket may require up to 20 licences issued by different licensing authorities.

The Forfás report recommended the introduction of an integrated licensing system. The Government considers this project to be of significant importance and has positioned it as one of the Disruptive Reforms in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013. Such an integrated licensing system, which will streamline the licensing application process, is a reformative step in reducing the administrative burdens for business. A key goal of the proposed system is to support the licence application process through the provision of a single portal or website through which businesses will be able to apply for, and renew, a multiplicity of licences. The new licensing system will be developed for the retail sector in the first instance and rolled out to other sectors of the economy thereafter.

The delivery of an integrated licensing application system for business offers real potential to ease the process of starting up a business in Ireland and should significantly reduce the work involved in annual renewals of licences. It will also contribute to maintaining Ireland’s position at the forefront of delivering advanced eGovernment services and using Information Technology to reduce costs for business and improve the delivery of services to business.

The Integrated Licensing Application System should also provide productivity and efficiency gains in the public sector by streamlining the administration of licensing processes and the potential for more integrated inspection and compliance systems in the future and better application of rick-based enforcement.

It is expected that the delivery of the system will be in Quarter 2 of 2014.